Soldier, 19 others arrested for armed robbery, theft in Gombe

The Gombe State Police Command saidit had arrested a soldier attached to 301 Artillery Regiment Gombe and 19 others for armed robbery and others various offences.

The State Commissioner of Police Muhammad Mukaddas, told journalists in Gombe on Thursday that the soldier, who has confessed to the crime, was arrested on Wednesday along Tabra Village via Gombe Bye-pass.

He said the suspect would soon be charged to court for prosecution.

“The police from Gombe Division arrested one Ojobo Sunday, a Private soldier attached to 301 Artillery Regiment Gombe in a case of armed robbery. The suspect boarded a commercial motorcycle Bajaj boxer, asked the motorcyclist Abubakar Garba that he wanted to make a phone call.

“At the point he pointed an AK47 Rifle with breech No. 16470 with 24 round of live ammunition and snatched away the motorcycle. The victim raised alarm and was chased by patrol team who received a distress call and subsequently arrested him,” he said.

Mukaddas further disclosed that 19 other suspects were arrested in a case of armed robbery, theft of motorcycle, receiving stolen properties, conspiracy and culpable homicide.

According to him, one woman among the suspects was also arrested for abandoning her five-day-old baby.

The police boss added that all suspects would be charge to court for prosecution and appealed to people in the state to continue to partner with the police in providing useful information toward reducing the rate of crime.